Eydie Mendoza (She/Ella/They/Elle) grew up sewing and drawing, and is a multimedia producer.

Raised in San Jose, Calif., they graduated from Yerba Buena High School. They first attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in San Francisco and then relocated to Los Angeles to work in the fashion district and realized that they wanted to make a bigger impact on society and changed their major to English at Pasadena City College, transferred to Mount St. Mary’s College, and received a Bachelor’s in English and Spanish.

Mendoza worked over eight years as a college international and domestic student advisor, including children of migrant workers at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and College of the Redwoods in Eureka. They enjoyed working for the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) office in Sacramento with early childhood dual language programs on a national level. They worked with under-served and underrepresented communities as a bilingual educator assisting families, care providers, teachers, youth and adults in pursuing their dreams for higher education and a better life.

After the NCLR office closed in northern Calif., Mendoza moved back to their hometown of San Jose, where they reconnected with family, friends, and the community. They worked as the Communications Specialist at 4Cs, a former SVL Editor-in-Chief SVLatino.com (2011-2012), a former San Jose Pride Board Member where they served as a Publicist (2012-2014) and interim CFO (2013), and worked 10 years for the County of Santa Clara in communications. 

Currently works for Santa Clara University Presents as an interim Digital Marketing Manager, is an active Silicon Valley Latino Leadership Summit member, and volunteers with Qmunity Foundation.